The good thing about portable technology is that we’re no longer chained to our desks. The bad thing about portable technology is that we’re no longer chained to our desks. Go figure. This chapter covers the best of the best when it comes to portable computing.

The
good
thing
about
portable
technology
is that
we’re
no longer
chained
to our
desks.
The
bad
thing
about
portable
technology
is that
we’re
no longer
chained
to our
desks.
Go figure.

In
days
of yore
(yore
being
a dozen
or so
years
ago)
you
did
your
work
at your
desk,
and
when
you
were
away
from
your
desk,
you
were
away
from
your
work.
Not
so today,
and
you
can
thank
all
the
major
technology
companies
for
this
dubious
advancement.
Used
to be
that
if you
were
driving,
or out
for
a walk,
or shopping
for
groceries,
you
were
out
of touch,
communications-wise.
Today,
however,
thanks
to cell
phones
and
wireless
PDAs
and
other
such
gizmos,
you’re
never
out
of touch.
You
can
conduct
sensitive
business
negotiations
(or
be badgered
by your
spouse)
while
shopping
for
liverwurst
or sipping
on a
latte,
much
to the
annoyance
of everyone
around
you.
For
better
or for
worse,
you
just
can’t
get
away
from
it all
anymore;
no matter
where
you
are,
you’re
still
connected,
probably
wirelessly.

So
if the
ubiquitous
connection
is now
the
rule
rather
than
the
exception,
you
might
as well
go with
the
flow—and
have
a little
fun
with
it.
After
all,
this
influx
of portable
technology
is a
great
excuse
to buy
all
sorts
of portable
gadgets.
And
gadgets
are
definitely
fun!

Choosing
the
Right
Gadgets
to Fit
Your
Road
Warrior
Lifestyle

The
big
question
is,
exactly
which
portable
gadgets
you
need?
If you
bought
one
of everything,
you’d
need
Batman’s
utility
belt
to carry
them
all
around—which
sort
of negates
the
concept
of portability.
No,
the
savvy
road
warrior
picks
and
chooses
his
gadgets,
to maximize
his
portable
computing
and
communicating
efficiency.
It’s
possible,
after
all,
to have
a single
gadget
perform
multiple
functions.

So,
which
portable
gadgets
do you
need?
It all
depends
on your
individual
road
warrior
lifestyle.
Here
are
some
hints:

If
you breathe oxygen, you need
a cell phone—That’s
another way of saying that everybody
has one, whether they want it
or not. A basic cell phone (or mobile,
with the accent on the second
syllable, as they say across
the pond) is the minimum high-tech
gadget for just about anyone
today.

If
you’re
sixteen years old, you need
a cell phone with text messaging
service—Kids
like text messaging. Adults
not so much, possibly because
our thumbs are bigger and less
flexible. In any case, txt msg
r kwl—unless
you can’t
decipher message-speak, that
is.

If
you have a blog, you need a
camera phone—Mobile
blogs (moblogs, for short) are
the latest rage, where you use
your mobile phone to take pictures
of wherever you’re
at, and then post them online
for all to see. (You can see
my personal moblog at http://www.leoville.com/blog/; just
click the Pictures link at the
top of the page.) Camera phones
are also great for savvy businesspeople;
imagine going to a trade show
or a client’s
presentation and camera-phoning
product shots back to the office.
And it goes without saying that
if you have kids, you have to
have a camera phone; kids do
the cutest things, and you absolutely must capture
every thing they do for posterity,
even if you don’t
have your big digital camera
handy.

If
you have to juggle a ton of
contacts and appointments, you
need a PDA... or maybe a smartphone—A
personal digital assistant (PDA)
is a handheld gizmo with the
brains of a computer, minus
the keyboard. (They use touch-screen
input, instead.) PDAs are great
for storing contacts and schedules,
and for playing solitaire during
boring meetings. Every self-respecting
road warrior has one, unless
you decide to go with a smartphone
instead. A smartphone is a cell
phone with PDA functions, or
sometimes it’s
a PDA that makes phone calls.
In any case, one smartphone
can take the place of a separate
cell phone and PDA, even though
it’s
enough larger than a cell phone
to be somewhat inconvenient
for calling, and enough smaller
than a PDA to be somewhat unusable
for data entry, which makes
it pretty much the worst of
both worlds, or the best, depending.

If
you make a lot of notes to yourself,
you need a PDA—Ah,
another good use for a PDA,
to jot down notes during meetings
and such. You could just use
a yellow legal pad, of course,
but then you wouldn’t
have to deal with finicky handwriting
recognition systems and storage
capacity limits, and what’s
the fun in that?

If
you travel a lot, you need a
laptop PC... or maybe a PDA...
or perhaps a smartphone—When
you’re
away from the office, you not
only need to get a little work
done, you also have to check
your emails—otherwise,
the spam quickly builds up to
insurmountable levels. So you
need to carry something along
with you that you can hook up
to a phone line (or, ideally,
to a wireless hotspot) and check
your inbox. The notebook PC
is a good workhouse for this
task, as you can also use it
to write memos and crunch numbers.
If you don’t
need to write memos and crunch
numbers, however, you could
always use a PDA (with built-in
WiFi) to do the email thing.
For that matter, a smartphone
can also connect to a WiFi hotspot
and send and receive email,
if you don’t
mind typing on those little
Chiclet keys. It’s
up to you how big a device you
want to carry around, and whether
or not you need to do industrial-strength
computing while you’re
on the road. Or you could be
a real geek and carry both a
laptop PC and PDA, although
that’s
kind of a belt-and- suspenders
approach to road warrioring,
IMHO.

If
you take work home from the
office, you need a USB memory
device—Now
here’s
a gadget I really like—and
one that actually works as promised.
In the old days, you transferred
data from one location to another
via floppy disk, which held
a whopping 1.44MB of data. Today,
some email messages are larger
than this, so you need a portable
storage device with more capacity,
which is what you get with a
USB memory device (sometimes
called flash storage, or keychain
storage, or a USB drive, or "that
little plug-in thingie").
With storage capacities up to
2GB, these little gizmos plug
into any PC’s
USB port and are instantly recognized
as an extra storage drive. Best
of all, it’s
simple technology that almost
always works. Hard to beat,
especially when you need to
take files back and forth from
one location to another.

You
get
the
idea.
There’s
lots
of gadgets
you can carry,
although
you
don’t have to
carry
each
and
every
one.
Since
many
portable
gadgets
due
double
and
triple
duty,
it’s
a matter
of determining
what
types
of tasks
you’ll
need
to do,
and
picking
the
right
devices
for
those
specific
tasks.
Do your
planning,
and
you
could
end
up with
a single
device
in your
briefcase.
Don’t,
and
you’ll
need
an assistant
to juggle
all
the
different
gadgets
you
carry
along!

Shopping
for
a Laptop
PC

For
most
businesspeople,
a laptop
PC is
an essential
portable
gadget.
With
the
right
laptop,
you
can
do practically
any
work
you
would
normally
do in
your
office
from
just
about
anywhere
on the
road.

Buying
a laptop
PC isn’t
all
that
simple,
however,
because
there
are
so many
different
types
on the
market
today.
At the
very
least,
you’ll
have
to choose
from
these
types
of models:

Ultracompact—If
you primarily use your notebook
for email and running the occasional
PowerPoint presentation (using
an external projector), and not
for heavy-duty typing or number-crunching,
this might be the type of machine
for you. An ultracompact has a
smaller screen (10’’–12’’)
and cozier keyboard than larger
laptops, and consequently is smaller
and weighs less—and
also uses less power, which results
in longer battery life. These
puppies are easier to slide into
a briefcase than larger models.

Business
laptop—For
most non-executive road warriors,
you actually need to do some
real work when you travel—which
means that a bigger screen and
full-size keyboard are important.
What we’re
talking about here is the traditional
business laptop, with a 14’’–15’’ screen,
full-sized keyboard, combo CD/DVD
drive, and enough computing
horsepower for typical Word
and Excel use. Do your homework
and you can find a model that’s
relatively thin and not too
heavy; you should also look
for a unit that offers decent
(3+ hours) battery life.

Desktop
replacement—If
power matters more to you than
portability, you want a laptop
that can function as a full-featured
desktop PC. These so-called
desktop replacement models use
standard Pentium 4 processors
(instead of the portable-oriented
Pentium M) and provide extra-large
15.4’’ or
larger screens (typically widescreen)
and CD/DVD burning capabilities.
You also get more memory, bigger
hard drives, and just about
everything else you’d
expect in a larger PC. The tradeoff
comes in terms of size (bigger),
weight (heavier), and battery
life (none to speak of). A desktop
replacement really isn’t
an option for a true road warrior,
unless you’re
always in reach of a power outlet.
(BTW, if you’re
looking for a laptop for game
playing, as discussed in the
previous chapter, this is the
type of laptop you’re
looking for.)

Tablet
PC—This
is a subspecies of the notebook
PC, with a touch screen you
can write on—with
a stylus, that is, not a real
pen. Tablets are great for specific
tasks, such as meter reading
or checking inventory in a warehouse.
For most of us, they’re
totally unnecessary for standard
computing tasks.

Whichever
type
of laptop
you
decide
on,
you’ll
want
to make
sure
it meets
some
minimal
performance
specs.
Assuming
you
don’t
go the
Apple
route
(which
I prefer,
but
you
probably
don’t),
you
should
look
for
a laptop
that
uses
a Pentium
M processor
(runs
cooler
and
uses
less
power
than
standard
desktop
Pentium
4 processors),
has
at least
512MB
memory,
offers
built-in
802.11b/g
WiFi
wireless
connectivity,
and
has
a combo
CD burner/DVD
player
drive.

By
the
way,
machines
billed
as using
Intel
Centrino
technology
use
Intel’s
Pentium
M/WiFi
chips,
which
is a
sure-fire
way
to go—but
not
the
only
way.
Some
manufacturers
use
non-Intel
WiFi
chips,
and
even
though
they
use
the
Pentium
M processor,
can’t
use
the
official
Centrino
logo.
No big
deal,
as long
as you
get
some
sort
of Pentium
M/WiFi
combination.

Looking
forward,
we’re
just
about
due
for
notebooks
that
use
Intel’s
next-generation
Centrino
technology,
dubbed
Sonoma.
These
notebooks
will
have
improved
performance
thanks
to a
533Mhz
bus,
DDR2
RAM,
PCI
Express,
and
improved
audio
and
video.
Sonoma
will
also
support
something
called
stack
execution
disabling,
which
will
improve
security
on next-
generation
notebooks.
Look
for
it.

Choosing
the
Right
PDA

Even
though
some
experts
say
the
traditional
PDA
is on
the
way
out
(to
be replaced
by smartphones
and
semi-smart
cell
phones),
there’s
still
a market
for
these
little
gizmos.
No self-respectable
gadget
geek
is without
a clunky
PDA
clipped
to his
belt,
after
all.

Now,
you
wouldn’t
expect
the
PDA
market
to be
any
less
confusing
than
other
high-tech
markets,
which
is why
you
have
your
choice
of units
that
use
the
Palm
operating
system
(Palm
OS)
or Microsoft’s
Pocket
PC operating
system.
Palm
OS devices
tend
to be
a little
lower-priced
than
Pocket
PCs,
although
some
of the
high-end
Palm
models
are
every
bit
as expensive.
Features
tend
to be
comparable
between
the
two
types
of devices,
although
you
should
go the
Pocket
PC route
if you
need
to work
with
Word
or Excel
files;
Pocket
PCs
incorporate "pocket" versions
of both
programs.

The
big
player
in the
Palm
OS market
is palmOne,
as the
old
Palm
company
now
calls
itself.
(Well,
actually,
they’re
going
to go
back
to calling
themselves
just
Palm
again,
but
we’ll
stick
with
the
PalmOne
name
just
to be
stubborn.)
PalmOne
manufactures
two
different
lines
of devices
(three,
if you
count
the
Treo
smartphones),
the
Tungsten
line
for
business
users
and
the
Zire
line
for
general
consumer
use.

The
Pocket
PC is
Microsoft’s
answer
to the
Palm
PDA.
Pocket
PCs
tend
to be
a little
more
business-oriented
and
a little
more
powerful
than
Palm
PDAs—and
little
more
expensive,
as well.
The
major
Pocket
PC manufacturers
are
HP and
Dell.

Most
users
use
their
PDAs
pretty
much
for
managing
contacts,
scheduling
appointments,
and
making
to-do
lists.
(Oh,
and
playing
games—never
forget
the
games!)
Palm
OS PDAs
synch
with
the
Palm
Desktop
software
for
all
these
functions;
Pocket
PCs
synch
your
Pocket
PC contact
and
appointment
lists
with
Microsoft
Outlook.
(Most
Palm
PDAs
also
come
with
utility
programs
that
let
you
synch
with
Microsoft
Outlook,
if that’s
your
preference.)
In addition,
Pocket
PCs
are
a little
more
oriented
towards
traditional
office
tasks;
they
come
with
Pocket
Word,
Pocket
Excel,
and
Pocket
Money,
so you
can
use
your
Pocket
PC to
edit
the
same
files
you
use
on your
desktop
PC.

Which
type
of PDA
should
you
buy—Palm
OS or
Pocket
PC?
My general
advice
is that
if all
you
need
is basic
calendar
and
address
book
functions,
go with
the
lower-priced
Palm
OS.
If you
need
to integrate
with
various
Windows
applications—Outlook,
especially—then
spring
for
a Pocket
PC.

Whichever
type
of PDA
you
choose,
here
are
some
of the
things
to look
for
when
shopping:

Size
and weight—You’ll
actually pay more for less—that
is, the smaller units come at
a premium. That said, some of
the most expensive units are
the largest, as they incorporate
mini-keyboards and built-in
cameras, which add to a unit’s
heft.

Speed
and storage—Even
the least expensive PDA is fast
enough and has enough built-in
storage for all your contacts
and scheduling information.
If you want to play games, however,
you’ll
want to consider a unit with
a faster processor.

Screen—Color
is more expensive than monochrome,
of course—but
a lot easier on the eye. Some
models have a slightly larger
display, which is always nice.

Keyboard—Most
units feature stylus-based entry.
If you prefer to type, consider
a unit that features a mini-QWERTY
keyboard.

Wireless
connectivity—If
you’re
into connecting on the go, look
for either Bluetooth or WiFi
wireless connectivity.

Digital
music players—Many
PDAs also function as digital
music players, with built-in
media player software. Because
the built-in speaker typically
leaves a lot to be desired,
you’ll
probably want to do your listening
via headphones.

Digital
cameras—For
the ultimate in coolness, check
out the models with built-in
digital cameras. Just make sure
you have plenty of storage capacity
for all the photos you take!

Of
Cell
Phones
and
Smart
Phones

Choosing
a cell
phone
is a
major
lifestyle
decision.
Do you
prefer
a flip
phone
or a
candy
bar
phone?
Do you
use
it strictly
for
conversations,
or do
you
do text
messaging?
Do you
want
to play
games
on your
phone,
or watch
videos?
How
about
taking
pictures?
And
do you
prefer
a silver
case
or a
blue
one?

More
important—well,
equally
important—is
the
cell
phone
provider,
and
the
network
technology
used.
As you’ve
no doubt
discovered,
phones
that
work
with
one
provider
don’t
work
with
another
provider.
That’s
because
different
providers
use
different
cell
phone
technologies.
In the
pre-digital
days,
analog
cell
phones
used
a technology
called
FDMA
(frequency
division
multiple
access).
Today’s
digital
networks
(in
the
U.S.,
anyway)
use
different
technologies.
Sprint
and
Verizon
use
800MHz
or 1900MHz
CDMA
(code
division
multiple
access)
technology;
Cingular
and
T-Mobile
use
1900MHz
GSM
(global
system
for
mobile
communications)
technology.
Naturally,
they’re
all
incompatible
with
each
other.

And
that’s
just
within
the
United
States.
Overseas
(over
any
sea,
actually),
GSM
technology
is standard.
However,
since
European
and
Asian
providers
use
the
900MHz
and
1800MHz
bands,
these
systems
are
incompatible
with
the
U.S.
providers’ 1900MHz
GSM
systems.

Confused
yet?

It
gets
better,
especially
when
you
discover
that
different
cell
phone
manufacturers
produce
different
models
for
different
systems.
You
might
see
a particular
cell
phone
you
like,
but
then
find
out
it isn’t
available
for
your
particular
service
provider.
So you
have
to pick
a model
that
works
with
your
particular
provider,
and
vice
versa.

Then
we have
the
topic
of smartphones.
A smartphone
is a
combination
PDA
and
cell
phone;
that
is,
it’s
device
that
makes
cellular
calls
and
stores
contact
and
scheduling
information.
Most
smartphones
offer
a larger
display
than
a normal
cell
phone
(more
like
a PDA
display),
as well
as a
mini-QWERTY
keyboard
(for
data
entry).

Why
would
you
want
a smartphone?
Well,
if you
carry
both
a PDA
and
a mobile
phone,
a smartphone
lets
you
cut
your
number
of portable
gadgets
by half—that’s
if you
don’t
mind
the
compromises
inherent
in such
a combo
device,
of course.
You
see,
the
typical
smartphone
is somewhat
larger
than
a typical
cell
phone,
shaped
and
sized
more
like
a PDA.
This
makes
for
a somewhat
awkward
phone,
but
if you
think
of it
as a
PDA
plus,
then
you’re
okay.

In
any
case,
before
you
purchase
any
smartphone,
you
should
give
it a
full
try-out.
Make
sure
it does
everything
you
need
it to
do,
in a
way
that’s
intuitive
and
comfortable
to you.
And
definitely
be sure
you
like
the
size
and
heft;
whichever
model
you
choose,
you’ll
be using
it a
lot!

And,
no matter
which
type
of phone
(smart
or otherwise)
you
choose,
check
out
all
the
various
accessories
available—especially
headsets.
If you
use
your
cell
phone
for
extended
periods
at a
time,
you
know
how
uncomfortable
it can
get.
That’s
why
many
people
use
some
sort
of headset,
so they
don’t
have
to hold
the
handset
to the
side
of their
heads
all
the
time.

All
cell
phone
headsets
include
an earphone
for
listening
and
a microphone
for
talking.
They’re
very
popular
among
people
who
work
all
day
on the
phone,
such
as call
center
professionals.
They’re
also
great
for
using
a cell
phone
in the
car,
which
you
really
shouldn’t
be doing
anyway,
although
I know
you
do.

Until
recently,
all
headsets
attached
to the
phone
via
a long
cord—easy
to connect,
if somewhat
inconvenient.
Today,
many
new
headsets
attach
cordlessly,
thanks
to Bluetooth
wireless
technology.
If your
phone
is already
Bluetooth-enabled
(and
more
and
more
are),
just
synch
a Bluetooth
headset
with
your
phone
and
you’re
ready
to go.
If you
don’t
have
a Bluetooth
phone,
you’ll
have
to attach
a Bluetooth
adapter
to it
to use
a wireless
headset.

When
you’re
shopping
for
a headset,
whether
wired
or wireless,
the
main
thing
to look
for
is comfort.
Do you
like
the
way
it hangs
on your
ear?
You
should
also
check
the
performance;
those
mini-mics
don’t
always
work
that
well,
especially
if you’re
a quiet
speaker.
You
might
have
to evaluate
several
models
to find
one
you
really
like.
And
then
there’s
the
style
issue;
some
of these
puppies
are
ultra-stylish,
others
look
like
giant
plastic
bugs
growing
out
of your
ear
canal.
Style
is in
the
eye
of the
beholder
(and
the
ear
of the
beholden),
so choose
accordingly.

Portable
Storage
for
the
Portable
Lifestyle

Then
there’s
the
gadget
for
every
road
warrior—and
even
for
those
warriors
who
don’t
hit
the
road
all
that
much.
I’m
talking
about
so-called
USB
memory
devices,
which
are
terrific
gizmos
for
transferring
data
from
one
PC to
another.
These
gadgets
contain
various
amounts
of flash
memory
and
connect
to any
computer
via
a free
USB
port.
When
connected,
your
computer
views
the
device
just
like
another
disk
drive.
You
can
then
transfer
files
from
your
computer
to the
flash
memory
and
back
again.

What’s
especially
cool
about
these
USB
memory
devices
is that
they
pack
so much
storage
into
such
a small
form
factor.
Most
of these
gizmos
are
truly
keychain-sized;
you
can
slip
them
in your
pocket
and
easily
carry
them
from
PC to
PC,
which
makes
for
truly
portable
mass
storage.
And,
because
they’re
pretty
much
plug-and-play,
transferring
your
files
from
one
computer
to another
is easy,
which
is great
if you
use
multiple
PCs
or travel
to various
locations.

Some
of the
early
USB
memory
devices
didn’t
have
much
memory
onboard—8MB
and
16MB
devices
were
common
back
then.
But
as the
price
of flash
memory
has
come
down,
manufacturers
have
packed
more
and
more
memory
into
these
little
doodads.
Some
models
today
have
2GB
or more
capacity,
which
is big
enough
to store
all
but
the
biggest
files.
(Heck,
that’s
big
enough
to hold
a couple
of CDs
worth
of music—uncompressed!)

Of
course,
the
more
storage
offered,
the
higher
the
price.
Today’s
lowest-priced
USB
memory
devices
give
you
256MB
of storage
for
$50
or less.
Double
that
price
and
you’ll
get
into
the
1GB
range;
2GB
devices
typically
run
over
two
bills.
Choose
the
right
size
for
your
needs,
as well
as a
form
factor
that
you
like,
and
you’ll
be a
happy
warrior.

Notebook
PCs

Apple PowerBook G4

If you’ve ever heard me on the radio or on TV, you know that I’m
an Apple fan. So it’s no surprise that my favorite laptop is an Apple, in
particular the PowerBook G4. I gotta tell ya, Apple knows how to do laptops
right.

Let’s start with the form factor, which is Apple’s real forte.
The PowerBook is sleek and slim, and looks as good with the case closed as it
does in operation. The keyboard has a nice solid feel, and the screen (no matter
which size you go with) is bright with a wide viewing angle. It’s just a
nice-looking machine, no matter how you look at it.

Apple offers three sizes of PowerBooks, for different on-the-go needs. The
12’’ model packs a lot of power into a case that’s just
10.9’’ x 8.6’’ when closed; at just 4.6 pounds,
it’s ideal for users who like to travel light. The 15’’ model
is more of a full-featured business machine, but still thin and relatively light
(5.6 pounds). The big 17’’ model is a multimedia powerhouse, ideal
for watching and editing video movies; it’s not as portable as the others,
but it’s a true desktop replacement machine.

All three of the PowerBooks are super-thin, only 1.18’’ from top
to bottom with the case closed. They all come with 512MB memory and
Apple’s DVD/CD SuperDrive; depending on the model, you get either a 1.5GHz
or 1.67GHz PowerPC G4 processor. Hard disk capacities range from 60GB in the
12’’ model to 100GB in the 17’’ machine. (And
here’s something super-neat; the 15’’ and 17’’
models come with full-size illuminated keyboards!)

I could
go on
and
on,
but
you
get
the
picture.
Apples
are
notoriously
easy
to use,
and
not
as incompatible
with
Windows
PCs
as you
might
think.
I know
lots
of folks
who
use
a Windows
desktop
PC in
the
office
and
an Apple
PowerBook
on the
road;
it's
a workableand
stylishcombination.

HP
Compaq
nc8230

Okay,
so most
of you
prefer
a Windows
machine
to an
Apple,
and
that's
okay.
When
you
want
a business-oriented
Windows
laptop,
you
can't
do much
better
than
HP's
Compaq
nc8230
series.
You
get
a nice
big
15.4'' screen,
1.86GHz
Intel
Pentium
M 750
processor,
1GB
memory,
60GB
hard
drive,
DVD/CD-R
drive,
and
built-in
802.11g
WiFiall
for
less
than
two
grand.
The
whole
thing
weighs
just
5.8
pounds,
and
it's
only
1.1'' deepa
decent
compromise
between
size/weight
and
performance.

Averatec
6240

You
might
not
have
heard
of Averatec,
but
I have,
and
I really
like
their
products.
What
you
get
with
the
6240
is a
lot
of performance
in a
decent-sized
package
(1.18'' thick)and
an extremely
affordable
price.
Even
better,
Averatec's
PCs
don't
use
a lot
of power,
so you
get
lots
of battery
timemore
than
7 hours,
if you're
listening
to audio
CDs.
Spec-wise,
you
get
a 15.4'' screen,
512MB
RAM,
80GB
hard
drive,
dual
DVD
burner,
and
built-in
802.11g
WiFi.
It might
not
be a
name
brand,
but
you
get
a lot
for
your
money!

Sony
VAIO
T250

Many
road
warriors
prefer
an ultracompact
laptop,
like
the
Sony
VAIO
T250.
This
puppy
measures
just
10.7'' (w)
x 8.1'' (d)
x 1'' (h)
with
the
case
closed,
and
weighs
in at
a paltry
3 poundsjust
the
right
size
and
weight
to carry
in your
briefcase.
It features
a 10.6'' screen
and
Intel
Centrino
technology,
so you
get
extremely
long
battery
lifeeven
with
the
DVD/CD
burner.
The
only
drawback
is that
the
T250
is a
tad
pricy,
but
you
gotta
pay
extra
to make
something
this
good
this
small.

Toshiba
Portege
M200

And
now
for
something
completely
different.
Toshiba's
Portege
M200
is a
combination
tablet/notebook
PC;
just
swivel
the
12'' screen
around
to write
on it
with
a stylus,
or leave
it in
place
for
regular
typing.
For
tablet
use,
the
screen
rotates
into
either
portrait
or landscape
orientation.
Feature-wise,
you
get
Centrino
technology
with
built-in
802.11g
WiFi
and
a 60GB
hard
drive;
one
drawback
is that
the
base
machine
doesn't
come
with
an optical
drive
(Toshiba
offers
an external
USB
DVD/CD
drive,
if you
like).